So it’s notable that Bentley—Rolls’ British counterpart and a bastion of automotive respectability in itself—so steadfastly maintains its commitment to the famous W12-cylinder engines that run, conventionally, on gasoline.

“Strong performance from our W12 models continued, with the Continental GT Speed and Continental GT Speed Convertible proving successful in all territories,” Kevin Rose, a Bentley board member, said in a statement on the company’s third-quarter results. He said recent upticks in sales driven by the brand’s W12 models “strongly reinforce our position” against direct competitors in the luxury car market.

Indeed, Bentley announced last week that Q3 sales globally were up nine percent year over year (6,516 cars in Q3 2013 versus 5,969 in 2012). In the Americas, Bentley saw gains of 16 percent year over year for the same time period. (North and South America comprise Bentley’s largest market, followed by China, Europe and the Middle East.)

Of course, that’s not to say that Rolls, Mercedes et al aren’t still driven primarily by conventional engines. Or that Bentley would never produce something that could run on an electric mode. It’s just that Bentley is one holdout as of yet: Bentley President Christophe Georges told me recently that the Volkswagen-owned brand is “working on a plug-in solution for the future.* But he emphasized that Bentley “will remain true to the brand hallmark of offering the perfect combination of power and luxury.”

“Our customers have shown they highly identify with Bentley as the leader of 12-cylinder technology,” Georges said.